Windsor Middle School principal placed on leave following arrest

Nov. 12, 2012

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Windsor Middle School announced Monday that Principal Doug Englert has been placed on paid administrative leave, sending shock waves through the community and leaving Athletic Director Erik Johnson to work as acting principal in his absence.

The announcement came after Englert’s Nov. 8 arrest for what Windsor Police Sgt. Rick Klimek called a “domestic violence dispute.”

The Weld County daily arrest report shows Englert was arrested on charges of assault, cruelty toward a child and harassing communication. Klimek said no physical harm actually came to a child, but Englert’s son was present during the incident, explaining the cruelty toward a child charge.

Klimek also said the incident occurred at Englert’s home and had “nothing to do with the school.”

While Weld Re-4 Superintendent Karen Trusler confirmed that Englert was placed on leave until further notice, she could not elaborate because it was a “personnel issue.” Interim Principal Johnson posted a letter to the WMS website Monday morning.

“While this sudden and unexpected change of leadership is sure to raise many emotions, questions or possible concerns for our entire school and the community which it serves, I want to assure you that our staff, district leadership and myself are resolved to maintaining the highest standards of educational excellence for which this district, and Windsor Middles School specifically, have become known,” Johnson wrote.

Englert, 56, has worked at WMS since 1994 and is known around town as “Mr. E”.

“I am actually just shocked,” said Elisa Haworth, who had two children go through Windsor Middle. “I think there would have to be some sort of, I don’t know, story behind it or something because there is no way Mr. E would do anything that wasn’t in the best interest of a child, the student body or the community.”

Haworth served on the PTA for five years and called Englert an “amazing man” and “a pillar in the community.”

“..He’s completely dedicated to the school, to the community. I don’t know, I just don’t believe he could have done something to hurt a kid,” Haworth said. “Everybody knows Mr. E. Everybody loves Mr. E.”

“Everybody’s innocent until proven guilty,” she added. “And I would be flabbergasted if he was guilty of doing anything against a child.”